I am not Peter Pan
by AOCIV
Summary: Elsa (21) is told to join her family's company once she finishes college, thing she knows isn't ready to do. For that reason, she decides to take a job that, albeit completely different from what she is expected to work on, will help her gain experience and confidence to work with other people. [Rated T for safety]


She was surprised, to say the least, when she was called to her father's studio. At her 21 years, Elsa had never been allowed into that room (by her father's request, of course) so she was painfully aware that there was something big to discuss.

She knocked quietly on the wooden door before her and waited until she was given permission to enter.

"Come in," _and she did_.

"Good morning, father, did you want to see me?" the girl asked to the man that sat behind a large desk.

"Yes," he straightened on his chair, "Please, have a sit, Elsa," _and she did,_ "You surely are aware that this is your last semester in college, aren't you?"

Straight to the point. She thought as she nodded, "I am, father."

"And do you know what that means?" he paused for his daughter to reply, and continued when she didn't, "It means that within six months you'll be ready to take a roll in our family's company. Your uncle and I have talked and we think you should rule one of the construction teams."

She stiffened, "But, father, shouldn't I start in a position less… exigent? I mean, I could draw as many projects as you would want me to, but to supervise the whole construction of a building and take all the decisions when I have none experience…"

"Elsa, listen to me because I don't want to have to repeat this: you will have experience once you _actually_ make the job. There is no necessity in start doing something easier."

"But I've never told anyone what to do, it's always been the other way around! I don't know how to treat with people and-"

"That's enough. You have a responsibility towards this family and this business. It's is time for you to grow up, to act as an adult instead of as an insecure, little girl. You're not Peter Pan, Elsa," _Ouch_, "You may leave," _and she did_.

* * *

_You are not Peter Pan, Elsa_.

It's true.

She isn't Peter Pan. She would love to, but she isn't. She's found herself clinging to the idea of the boy who wouldn't grow up for a simple reason; she is. She is growing up. She's grown up, and she hates it.

C. S. Lewis said once, "Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again".

However, what can she do when she's become an adult so fast that she had never had time to leave fairy tales behind, before she started reading them again? When she clutches to them because now she isn't going to be addressed to as "Elsa" but as "Miss Arendelle"?

As she tried to get used to the idea, someone knocked at the door.

"Miss Arendelle?" _Unbelievable_.

"Come in," Gerda, the maid, entered the room with a tray of food.

"You missed lunch," she said as she put the tray on the desk Elsa was currently facing.

The young woman looked at it for some seconds and finally said a low "thank you".

"Are you feeling alright, Miss Arendelle? You're being quieter than normal…"

"I am fine, Gerda, do not worry," she tried to smile a little, "And, _please_, do not call me 'Miss Arendelle'. I already told you it is weird."

"Oh, how should I address you as, then? Because, mind me, 'Elsa' is way too informal."

"I do not know. I even prefer 'Blondie' instead of 'Miss Arendelle'…" the older woman chuckled.

"How does Miss Elsa sound?"

"Not horrible," she smiled.

"That's settled, then," the maid patted her shoulder, "You should eat before food gets cold, Miss Elsa," with that the maid left the room.

Not feeling really hungry, Elsa ate half of her meal and then threw herself on the bed. She kept thinking about the conversation she had had with her father and, sighing, she decided she could use some air.

She put her platinum blonde hair in a braid and walked out of her room. Then she told Gerda she was going for a walk so the maid wouldn't worry, and left the house.

* * *

It hit her how much time had passed since she hadn't bothered in looking around town when she discovered how many shops and cafés had been opened, how many houses had been substituted by blocks of flats, _courtesy of Arendelle construction, of course_, she told herself.

_Maybe I am exaggerating, right? I should probably be grateful for having a job waiting for me in one of the biggest companies of the country. I can't let my insecurities with people bring me dow-_

Something hit her on the nose and she fell to the ground, eyes closed, bringing her hand to her face. _Please, God, tell me I am not bleeding_.

Before she could do anything else, she heard a girl's voice apologizing effusively.

"Oh, my, are you okay?" a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders, "I'm _so, so sorry_! I didn't even look outside before I slammed the door open," the hands left her shoulders and soon one of them was under her chin, making her lift her head, and the other moving her own hand away from her nose.

"What…?" Elsa tried to say, eyes still closed for they stung with tears.

"Damn, you're bleeding."

_Well, shit_.

The other girl tugged at Elsa's hand to help her get up, "Come with me, and we'll get you cleaned up," she stood up blindly with the girl's aid. "Again, I'm very sorry," the girl pressed a hand on her back to guide her, "You see, I was about to clean the veranda's tables so I could go home -sit here-," she felt something touch the back of her legs, and the girl's hand, now on her shoulder again, pushing her down lightly, "And I wanted so bad to go home that I kind of stormed out without a second thought."

When she heard the girl's steps moving away she finally opened her eyes. After touching her nose she looked at her hand. _Blood_.

She whimpered, and closed her eyes again, even tighter this time, making the tears they held fall freely. She hated seeing blood. She _fucking_ hated it.

Finding difficult to breathe, she knew she had to calm herself.

_Conceal it. Don't feel it._ She reminded herself. _Deep breaths_.

"Well, I brought some ice and-," the other girl paused, and her steps became quicker. She was soon kneeling in front of her; hands on Elsa's legs, "Hey, don't cry. Does it hurt that bad?"

Elsa shook her head "no", trying to reassure the other girl, but her intent ran futile when a whimper escaped her throat once again.

The hands on her knees retreated and then a warm palm was cupping her chin (silently asking her to remain still) and a wet cloth wiping her tear and blood stained face.

"It's stopped bleeding," the lady in front of her said, using a lower voice than before, shifting the position of the hand that held her chin to clean the dry drops of blood that had ended there.

When Elsa noticed the cloth wasn't touching her skin anymore, she dared open her eyes, and, while she did, the other girl's hand squeezed lightly her chin, thumb brushing her jaw, separating from her.

She saw a freckled redhead, hair made in two twin pigtails, with blue-greenish eyes, and a little smile, kneeled in front of her, looking her attentively.

"Hello there," the red-haired girl grabbed another cloth from the table beside her an approached it to Elsa's face, "There's some ice wrapped in here, you should put it there," she pointed the blonde's nose, "You know, so it doesn't swell."

Dumbfounded, Elsa took the cloth and placed it above her still sore nose, grimacing at the sensation of the damp cloth, "Thank you."

The freckled girl shot her a little smile and stood up, stretching her back, and then sat across from her, on another chair near to the table. That's when she noticed she was in a café. Well, a diner.

After less of a minute of silence, the teal eyed girl asked out of the blue:

"Do you dye your hair? Because that's a weird color you have," her eyes went wide, and she quickly added, "Not like it's ugly! It's just that, you know, with the sun shining and all, when I first saw you I thought your hair was gray and I was like '_Oh my freaking God, I just slammed a door on some old lady's head!_' but then I took the time to look at you –to actually look at you- and realized you were a young, beautiful woman- wait, what?" she blushed beet red and brought her hands up to cover her burning face, "Swallow me, ground. And don't you ever spit me…" she whispered, mostly to herself.

"It is my natural color," Elsa said in a low voice, almost as embarrassed as the girl in front of her.

"It's pretty…" the redhead assured, still hiding her face. Then she squealed and moved away her hands, "I didn't even ask your name! I'm Anna!" she introduced herself, launching a hand forward for Elsa to take.

"Umm, Elsa. Elsa Arendelle," the blonde shook Anna's hand weakly, finally removing the cloth from her nose, "Nice to meet you."

"Well, Elsa Arendelle, I hope we can be friends," the other girl almost asked.

"After this, I surely do not want you as an enemy," Anna snorted.

"Yeah, sorry. Again…"

A short albeit awkward silence followed, and Elsa decided it was time to go back home; she had already had way too many emotions for the day.

She stood up, making Anna do the same.

"Are you feeling well to go?" the red-haired girl asked.

Elsa had to look down to catch Anna's eyes for she was like two or three inches taller than her.

"Yes, do not worry, I am just a little dizzy but I am perfectly fine to go on my own. And, also, you said you wanted to go home badly so I better do not hold you here any longer," she said politely to the other girl.

"Oh, yeah. I would be done already if I had any help here. But no-one seems interested in the job…" Anna pointed a sing which read Help Wanted, "Anyway, if you're sure you're fine… Bye, I guess."

"Yes. Bye, Anna," the blonde turned to leave but stopped when she heard once again the redhead's voice.

"You could come have breakfast some day, you know. I make the world's best scrambled eggs so… yeah," she lowered her gaze, looking at the floor.

"I will keep it in mind," she smiled to Anna and left the diner.

As Elsa walked back home, she couldn't help but think: So… _help wanted, huh_?


End file.
